NCTCOG Hosts Event Expanding on Major Managed Lane Projects in North Texas

by Jonathan Harrop on November 14, 2013

DFW Local Media and elected officials gathered high above the LBJ Express project for the event.

Dallas, Texas – The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) hosted an event Wednesday highlighting the leaps in progress made along the LBJ Express, North Tarrant Express and DFW Connector corridors, for media and elected officials in the DFW area.

During the event, speakers provided an overview of the new managed TEXpress Lanes system, a section of which will open along the LBJ Express project in December.

“These roads are the first of their kind in the United States,” said Michael Morris, Director of Transportation for the NCTCOG. “You should be able to go 50 miles-per-hour if you want to, any time of day, on any one of these corridors in the TEXpress Lanes.”

A map of the planned TEXpress Lanes System for North Texas

“Managed lanes are a unique opportunity to address congestion while giving motorists a choice, and providing for more reliable commutes,” said Jeff Austin III, Commissioner for the Texas Transportation Commission. “While there are toll lanes as a component of these projects, existing lanes will be rebuilt, and some of these lanes will remain non-tolled.”

The event also highlighted the billions of dollars in fully reconstructed highways in North Texas, brought up to 21st Century standards with new technologies and an advanced design-build model that allowed the three projects to be completed significantly faster than with traditional road-building methods.

With more than $12 billion in combined total investments, the NCTCOG highlighted the vast economic benefits that the managed lane projects in the area have brought to the North Texas community.

Jeff Austin III, Commissioner for the Texas Transportation Commission, answers questions on the new face of Texas highways.

“LBJ and NTE are not only rebuilding some of the most congested highway corridors in Texas, but the two projects have also created more than 4,000 jobs in the DFW area during the construction period,” said David Laney, LBJ Infrastructure Group Board Chairman. “It’s an enormous contribution to the economic vitality of the area.”

Drivers on TEXpress Lanes will also be able to receive an HOV discount when carpooling, signing up via a dedicated app on their smartphones, or via text message before they embark on their commute.

The first finished portion of the new TEXpress managed lanes along the LBJ Express will open in mid-December. This will be a fixed-price test opening for engineers to see how the new managed toll systems operate and affect congestion, and for drivers to get their first taste of the new face of North Texas highways.